Asymmetric Lynx 308 Suppressor ReviewAs of late 2015, I began the process of purchasing a number of suppressors for review and for personal use in hunting, plinking, target shooting and general training. Among those suppressors I now legally own through the purchase, ATF Application, $200 tax stamp, six month preprocessing wait, and entry into my Trust, is the Asymmetric Lynx 308 Suppressor.
This is not my first experience with a suppressor. I have shot a large number of suppressors in the market thanks to being a writer in the industry, however this is not a typical suppressor.
Historically suppressors are basically modified mufflers. Technical advancements in materials, computer aided fluid modeling and design has dramatically improved suppressor capabilities over the years. There are now suppressors designed and optimized around specific intents, general purpose, semi-auto firearms, accuracy optimization, overall sound level suppression, tonal tuning of the report, weight, lower backpressure, durability...etc. Generally you have a suppressor that can only be optimized for a couple of these goals, however Asymmetrics’ suppressors seem to hit all the goals except weight. In a sea of titanium suppressors, the Asymmetric suppressors are not light. My other YHM Phantom Titanium suppressor is nearly a half pound lighter even though it is longer and has a much larger diameter than my LYNX.A hot design concept has been caliber conversion. The convertible suppressor concept may seem new, however it has been around for a while now. Most people are aware at this point that a .308 bore suppressor delivers pretty much the same attenuation within a couple dB of a dedicated 5.56 bore suppressor when used on a AR15 firing .223/5.56 rounds. At this early point, I did not see that justifying a second suppressor made sense right away to support .308 calibers and another to support .223, so I chose the durable .308 9” Lynx series suppressor from Asymmetric Products for this versatility and performance of a .308 suppressor even on an 5.56 AR15.
An unusual feature is that the unique Asymmetric sealed construction and patented design on their suppressor even allows owners to use it with very dirty .22LR rounds. This is a very unusual statement for a sealed can suppressor manufacturer because typically .22LR cans need to be disassembled and cleaned frequently. Asymmetric says cleaning out the .22LR gunk is as easy as attaching the suppressor to your large bore gun and firing about 3-6 rounds - their design self cleans. It sounds like BS, however the company has abuse tested suppressors through the above process and noted that they are not gaining any weight (retaining deposits) after thousands and thousands of rounds cycling back and forth from .22LR to .223 rounds. This capability makes for a suppressor that can handle the hundreds of calibers which range from .22LR to .308 rounds and only requires one suppressor to be purchased. They also abuse tested several test suppressors with over 300,000 rounds and they do not weigh a gram more than they did when first made - this is impressive.
FIT, FINISH, FEEL, FEATURES, & FUNCTIONS
Why I choose a Asymmetric suppressor was due to their extremely unique patented design construction. This is a heavy science and physics based design and I love science.
Their suppressor is the only design which includes a vacuum chamber at the muzzle attachment point. This feature prevents the intense heat of the suppressor from being transferred to the barrel which effects shot-to-shot accuracy.
Asymmetrics’ LYNX and other suppressors all feature their factory tuned ICE - Interstitial Cellular Entrapment baffles. There are no conical baffles but are instead cells. If you imagine a dense narrow labyrinth you get the idea of the ICE baffles. The result of this patented design is approximately five times the internal surface area compared to even the most advanced baffles currently used in the market. More surface area equals better heat dissipation, and attenuation and flash suppression in a smaller overall suppressor. The Asymmetric LYNX is smaller and is quieter than my YHM Phantom and the YHM can has a heck of a reputation as a top and suppressor.
The ICE Inconel steel baffles are press fit into the body and then fused together with a proprietary fusion technique to create a highly durable monolithic suppressor without welds or any mechanically attached components. Metal fusing is welding without any filler or filament material. Two pieces of metal are compressed together and then heated to melt together to become fused as one piece of metal. No other manufacturer makes suppressors this way.
The fusion process makes the Inconel baffles and internal body become stick free, the patented design is self-cleaning when high pressure rounds are shot through the suppressor. The .22LR compatibility is a handy byproduct of the construction, however the big benefits are the monolith based structural strength which is achieved and that while being heated the entire suppressor equally heats and expands. This means components are not moving around due to filament welded or screw attached parts that expand and contract at different rates which can affect accuracy. The Asymmetric suppressor and fused ICE baffle will heat and expand at a controlled rate as a unit to maintain accuracy.
Their design also greatly reduces typically high back pressure and eliminates first round pop. Due to the design I also found that first and second round accuracy remained the same at 100-yard ranges.
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| A simple stainless screw in thread adapter was used for adapting the 5/8x24 .308 caliber threading to 1/2x28 TPI for use on .223 AR15 barrels. |
My particular interest was for a good all around suppressor for use on any bolt or semi-auto rifle or AR pistol at a reasonable rate of fire. Of note, pretty much any .308 suppressor will work on both a bolt action and semi-auto firearm however not all work well. The most common complaints are that some suppressors do not mitigate enough recoil for the needs of some bolt action shooters, generate a notable point of impact change from first to second round, and some suppressors deliver far too much backpressure for semi-auto firearms thus requiring adjustable gas systems. From my discussions with the company and testing, I think Asymmetric’s design has addressed many of this typical issues plus a few we never thought of.
I do not have a lab or fancy testing equipment, however it sounds better, shot-to-shot accuracy has been consistent, has no first round pop, works with .22LR ammo as advertised, and does not deliver crazy forehead blackening backpressure I have witnessed from some suppressors when used on an AR semi-auto format rifle. In short I really like what I see in the LYNX and freaking love the versatility.
The Asymmetric LYNX delivers both the semi-auto and bolt action shooter a rugged and durable sealed multi-purpose suppressor which can handle pretty much any application and centerfire caliber from up to .308 Remington. Of note the LYNX is not designed for high rate or full auto. The suppressor can certainly handle multiple round burst here and there or some spirited training with your AR15 pistol or SBR however however it is not “full auto” rated. Asymmetric does have the 100% inconel steel 1712 models which are full auto rated if you want a full auto rated suppressor.
Asymmetric offers a number of models. Essentially the LYNX is their basic 6-inch or 8-inch models which can pretty much handle anything you throw at them on any rifle configuration. They are a little less expensive due to the 316SS body versus the all Inconel models. I have the 8-inch LYNX model and it does everything I want it to. The 1712 and HAVOC models are LEO and Military full auto rated versions featuring the same design and construction, but in a wider range of sizes and configurations including a new upcoming quick-detach option. The ION series is designed for the larger bore (.338 Lapua) long range precision shooter with a suppressor design that maximizes accuracy with higher recoil reduction. Asymmetric also offers specially tuned models for other specific calibers such as the 25-45 Sharps. Later this year the company will offer thread on sealed .22LR cans which can be cleaned just by attaching them to an AR15 for a few rounds. What I asked Asymmetric was where is my thread on 9mm can for my Sig MPX which is also rated as an entry can for 5.56 and .308… Keep your fingers crossed.
I do not own a calibrated dB meter and never will, however I am a picky guy and do notice that my LYNX suppressor is one of the quieter than many suppressors I have shot. I am not sure it is “the” quietest, however it works for me. After the newness of getting another new suppressor wore off, the coolest benefits above all is that the suppressor heat is not heating up the and of my barrel and I do see that my shots do not start wandering after the suppressor heats up like other suppressors I have tested. I also really like that I am “on” in the first round versus needing to compensate. Great newer supressor… Science is cool - in this case literally.
SPECS
LYNX
MSRP: $750.00 - 6.5"
MSRP: $900.00 - 8"
Designed & manufactured for multi-gun applications and addresses the unique needs of hunters and enthusiasts. Available in 6.5" and 8" models.
FEATURES:
Negligible Gas Blowback
Low Flash
Effective dB
SUPPRESSOR SPECS:
Length: 6.5" / 8"in
Diameter: 1.46in
Weight: 21oz
Caliber: All Popular
Material: Inconel/316SS
Reduction: 26dB - 32dB Typical
SOURCES
Asymetic Suppressors - http://apdinnovate.com